Chet Holmgren Offensive Breakout a Must Continue vs. Spurs

Chet Holmgren has seen a massive breakout during the 2025-26 campaign. Not only did he make his first All-Star team back in Feburary and soon to be on his first all-defensive unit when the NBA announces the list later this month by averaging a career-best 17.1 points, a career-hgih 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game while shooting a career-best 55% from the floor, 36% from distance and 79% at the charity stripe in his 69 games but he has taken his game to another level in the postseason.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 8-0 in the NBA Playoffs, having swept the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns to date while they make it back to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season. During this historic run, Holmgren has averaged 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game with shooting splits of 60/38/88. A predictable breakout in the playoffs as he has been healthy and built off the play finishing skills he polished during the regular season.

“Physically, I feel a lot better… I just feel a lot more calmed and settled," Holmgren said at Friday's practice as the Thunder awaited their Western Conference Finals matchup.

The Oklahoma City Thunder now have their Western Conference foe in hand, taking on the San Antonio Spurs in one of the most eye-popping series in recent history between a pair of 60-plus win rivals.

This season, the Spurs have had the Thunder's number. Rattling off four wins in five games against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sure, the fourth win came against Brooks Barnhizer and company as the Thunder did not play any of their regular rotation members and the Bricktown Ballers missed key figures in each Spurs matchup this season, but there is no doubt this will serve as Oklahoma City's biggest test all postseason.

Holmgren only averaged 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists against the Spurs this season in four games. The Thunder big man shot just 38% from the floor, 20% from distance and 80% at the charity stripe in these tilts.

There is a reason for that. Not only do the Spurs boast one of the NBA's best defensive units, but the team also saw Holmgren battle an illness and back spasms during the week of Christmas when the Thunder played the Spurs twice.

One of the biggest things that tripped Holmgren up in this matchup was the Spurs' willingness to cross-match the Thunder big man sending smaller defenders flying out to him on the outside during a portion of the season that he was not comfortable shooting over smaller contests. This postseason, Holmgren has fixed that issue. A trend that must continue in the Western Conference Finals.

Holmgren's aggression has been off the charts in this postseason, being willing to take more daring shots over defenders and even in the mid-range over bigger bodies. While the offensive production for the Gonzaga product is largely tied to his playmakers finding him in great spots, Holmgren must hold up his end of the bargain.

Oklahoma City at large must be less timid going into the paint on Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama. In the Thunder's lone win, they finally engaged Wembanyama in more actions, cutting behind him and were more willing to challenge him. Wembanyama is the defensive player of the year for a reason. He is going to get plenty of blocks and plays that feel back-breaking, but this Thunder roster lives in the mid-range and at the rim. They have to be willing to live with that to continue to get into their normal offensive actions.

If Holmgren is aggressive, shooting over smaller defenders and has his 3-point shot working, it would be a massive boost to the Thunder in trying to get past these difficult Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. A series poised to go the distance.

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